Behind the Facade
by The Unstoppable Black Reaper
Summary: Son of affluent business man, intelligence,kindness and looks, Inuyasha seems to have it all; however, he has built up the reputation of an asocial loser. He shies away from former a friend Kags and other bullies trying to survive HS. Pairings Undecided.
1. Back to School

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter 1: Back to School

His head drooped and gold eyes behind thin glasses locked on his own feet as they slowly dragged on. He did his best to lose himself amongst the crowd with hopes that none of his tormentors would catch a glimpse of his unruly silver hair. Maybe, just maybe, he could escape unscathed to the sanctuary of his next class. The classroom it was the place where he truly excelled. The silver, bound in a sloppy ponytail that fell to his lower back, covered a head that housed a truly dazzling intellect. While his cunning and intelligence were god-sent gifts, they were also his curse. From an early age he indulged himself in the pursuit knowledge, reading the works of Greek philosophers and Shakespearean plays, while others his age were still struggling over Doctor Seuss. Ultimately, his lack of interaction with others during his childhood resulted in underdeveloped social skills; thus, despite being well versed in rhetoric, he was still unable to adequately communicate with mainstream teenagers his age.

A foot jarred him from his little introspection as it swiped across the back of his heel. He brushed it off as accidental contact amongst the myriad of students fumbling with lockers and books. However, the foot returned and swept his legs out from underneath him. He tumbled forward, body crashing to the floor, his numerous books sliding across the tiles. He composed himself for a moment before turning to stare into the icy blue eyes of his tormentor. His photographic memory kicked into high-gear as his brain processed all the cruel things Kouga Ookami had done over the years. Kouga may have not been the first to express repulsion towards him, but when he enrolled into the Saimyoushou Preparatory Academy in the seventh grade he was the first to involve a physical component to his daily abuse. His thoughts quickly shifted onto how Kouga was even able to get into Saimyoushou, a school that only accepted the wealthy; the well-connected; or the intellectually, athletically, or artistically gifted. In fact, Saimyoushou only was rivaled by the newly established Oxford Preparatory Academy on the opposite side of Tokyo Sure Kouga was moderately athletic, but he was as dumb as a rock.

"Nerd, I got some friendly advice," Kouga sneered with sarcasm at the silver-haired boy that still remained sprawled across the ground. "You should apologize when you get in people's way." The fallen-boy mentally berated himself for zoning out again as Kouga proceeded to step on his back and kick his dropped books before walking off laughing with the rest of his posse of self-proclaimed 'cool-kids.'

"!Che bastardo!" he muttered in Italian under his breath. It was another common occurrence for him to mumble his retorts in one of the eight foreign languages that he spoke fluently rather than issuing a reply that would only lead to more harm. He gathered himself along with his books while inwardly scoffing about Kouga's arrogance. Memories of his father's training flashed through his mind. Chuckling to himself he realized once again that Kouga was not nearly as physically gifted as himself. Mastering Muay Tai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, and various sword styles had left him with plenty of strength, speed, agility, and conditioning that, he deemed, was unmatched at his school; not to mention it left him with a body of sculpted muscle that would leave the Greek gods jealous. The chuckling soon became audible when it occurred to him that he was only person in the student body that knew this juicy tidbit of information. Perhaps it was the baggy sweatshirts and sweatpants that he generally wore or it was his slouch that masked his 6' 3" frame, for whatever reason no one was able to discern the puzzle that was Inuyasha Takahashi. He continued to ponder various thoughts as he headed off to class late once again.

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The sun, continuing its ascent, shined through the windows of classroom 134, gleaming of the recently polished desks that were about to be used for the first time this year. The students of Ms. Kaede's, yes she still was a miss at the ripe age of 63, literature class poured in as the bell rang and began selecting their seats with hopes of being close to their friends. Once everyone was somewhat seated Ms. Kaede began her usual monologue to begin the year.

"I know everyone is used to this since you are juniors this year, so I am going to make this the abbreviated version. I don't care where you sit; all I ask is that pay attention to material covered in class and be respectful of other people, including their opinions and ideas. I expect this class to be rather challenging because we are going to be reading some of the great works of literature and meticulously analyzing them to find the true meaning behind the authors' words," the teacher droned on. "Alright let's get take attendance quickly so we can begin our foray into Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. Akitoki Hojo…"

"Ughhh, what a way to start each day this year, Ms. Kaede and Advanced Literature," moaned a brown-haired girl whose wavy locks formed a curtain around her head as she buried it into her arms.

"Talk about total boredom," commented a girl with high ponytail whose bangs framed her face contrasting with the pink eye-shadow she always wore.

"You don't have to tell me twice, Sango," replied a girl with straight brown hair and a side ponytail.

"Higurashi!" a voice bellowed jarring Kagome from her complaints causing her to whip her head up and stare confounded at her teacher.

"Huh?" was the intelligent reply that came out.

"Well Ms. Higurashi, it seems you are present today; however, I am going to keep your chatter with Ms. Tanaka and Ms. Suzuki to a minimum. Do I make myself clear you three?" Ms. Kaede reprimanded the clique.

"Crystal," the three teenagers replied in unison while their faces flushed from embarrassment.

"Good. Now that we have that situation cleared up let's continue roll…" Ms. Kaede continued reading down the list slightly annoyed from the previous interruption. The three girls just sighed and returned to the daydreams of the school year to come. Ms. Kaede's mind-numbing voice caused the seconds to drag on. "Takahashi," the ancient teacher questioned. "Takahashi?" she repeated her previous statement. "Has anyone seen Mr. Takahashi today?" the disruption of the monotonous pattern snapped everyone out of their reverie. Whispers of loser, nerd, geek, and freak echoed around the classroom.

"Finally the freak show realizes he doesn't belong here. I feel bad for the next school that has to take him in," one brave boy shouted. His little outburst was met with resounding cheers and laughter from the class.

Ms. Kaede's rage was boiling until her self-control finally reached its breaking point and snapped. The students who noticed the Vesuvius brewing in the front of the class room immediately shut up to avoid the inevitable devastation that was about to be unleashed on their still laughing comrades. They could see her face contorting with each passing jeer and response until some swore the heard her patience break before she cleared her throat. Everyone stopped and sunk as far into the seat as possible. Ms. Kaede's anger was legendary at Saimyoushou and was common knowledge that you should never under any circumstances invoke that type of fury.

"Hiten, would you please stand up," Ms. Kaede commanded in a sickly-sweet voice. Hiten Matsumoto, Kouga's best friend and fellow jock, rose from his seat with shaky knees. He could practically taste the venom in his teacher's voice. A nervous grunt was all that was issued from the fear-stricken athlete. 'That insolent piece of trash, how dare he insult my favorite student. I wish they never would have confiscated my paddle. I would have beaten him so bad that he would not have been able to sit down for the rest of the week.' Ms. Kaede fumed to herself as she spewed such profanities that students' mouths hung open in awe as they had never heard phrases that used words in ways that they never thought possible. The imagery was so vivid that several students thought they might have to go to the nurse because they could feel the breakfast coming back up.

Ms. Kaede had never been this defensive about a student that she did not know, but some of the other teachers had showed her some of his work and she was completely entranced. She rarely had seen such work in the published papers by college professors and accredited experts of their respected fields. His brilliant insights were cleverly linked together by well-crafted words that made his papers read like best-sellers. At that moment she instantly dubbed him her favorite student despite the fact that she never talked to him. However, she had seen him wandering lethargically through the hallways and could tell that there was a complex individual that existed beyond the thin façade that he used to protect his true identity. But for the life of her, she could never figure out what he was protecting himself from; instead she mulled over how it only brought out his antisocial image. She finished reprimanding the black-haired boy and was about to resume to her roll call when the turning of the door knob broke the silence.


	2. Old Friends and Bitter Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters

Chapter 2: Old Friends and Bitter Memories

The turning of the door knob broke through the silence as the oak door cracked just a fraction to allow a silver-headed student to slide into the class room. He quickly snapped his head up to reveal sun-dipped orbs that were previously hidden by his untamed bangs. "Sorry for my tardiness. I will try to not be late again," he muttered barely loud enough for his teacher to hear. Ms. Kaede could tell from the traces of dust and dirt that adorned his pants that there were other factors that forced her prized-pupil into missing the opening portion of her class, but found it wise not to pry.

His golden spheres methodically scanned the classroom for an empty seat that would get him as far away from any possible bullies and away from the general class discussion. A seat in solitude, a place where he could contemplate his work without the prying eyes and piercing voices of naive individuals, was just what he needed. He spied a seat on the side of the classroom. 'Perfect,' he thought. He could bask in the sunlight pouring through the window and gaze out upon the beautiful skyline of the city of Tokyo when he found himself bored with his traditional overbearing workload.

He trudged towards his window seat. He caught sight of the disgusted looks of the people that occupied the neighboring desks. He dropped his backpack and books on top of the desk and quickly slid down into his chair. Glancing out of his peripheral vision, he managed to see several of the surrounding students sliding their chairs away to effectively distance themselves from the 'disease' of the school. In the past it may have hurt, but he matured to not allow people, who failed to get to know the real him, the pleasure of causing him any mental anguish.

He turned his head to stare at the simple-minded fools he would have the pleasure of sharing in, in his own opinion, such a 'simplistic and unfulfilling mockery of great works'. Sure he knew that Ms. Kaede had an appreciation and understanding of literature, but the rest of students could only read superficially and lacked insight into rich themes and issues that pervaded the authors' words. Two deep blue eyes locked with his and resulted in a scowl adorning his face.

Kagome Higurashi, he loathed her. She was the one person he hated more than anyone, well maybe only as much as Kouga. She was once his best friend or what he considered his best friend considering that she had been his only friend. She would still sit with him and try to talk to him in spite of his reserved and quiet nature. In fact, he had even developed an adolescent crush on her. But she was like everyone else and eventually took his heart and stomped on it until only fragments remained. He hated her. She sold their friendship for popularity and became one of the ring leaders in his daily torture. He remembered the day she crushed their bond so clearly.

_He waited at the corner table at lunch just like each day for his best and only friend Kagome to arrive. He couldn't get her face out his mind. It was always there through his training, his school work, his work as his father's business. Her form continually appeared in his head plaguing his thoughts during the business trip that he accompanied his father on. 'Wow. I got it bad. I am definitely in love,' he realized. 'Maybe I should invite her over for dinner, but I don't want to ruin the friendship we already have. I wish I could just openly express myself, but I never been good at those types of things. I wish this was just some type of calculus problem then I wouldn't be having any trouble. That's it I could just write it out in a poem or letter…' his thoughts of his love were interrupted by the lunch special of the day, a turkey sandwich, hitting him in the side of the head._

"_Hey Inutrasha," a voice snidely remarked._

_He looked up into two pairs of blue eyes. "Kagome?" he questioned softly as he stared at the girl that plagued his recent thoughts. She was wrapped around the new kid Kouga Ookami, the one who tried to make his life a living hell. He broke the stare. His head hung low, as he felt his heart shatter. Tears threatened to fall, but he would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry._

"_You honestly thought that I would be your friend. You're nothing. You're worthless, poor, weak, a freak incapable of having friends, nothing but an ugly and hideous loser," she stated coldly. Those cold words hurt him deeply; he was frozen. He couldn't raise his head to meet her gaze because the pain in his chest paralyzed his body. "Why would I want to hang around you when have an amazingly sexy, athletic, and popular boyfriend who has at least can take me shopping on occasion. You could never compare to him," she continued. "I'm popular now like I should have been all this time but I wasted a year of my life pretending to be your friend." She finished her little rant and kissed her new boyfriends lips and they walked away holding hands._

_He watched her retreating form from behind his glasses. 'She sold our friendship for popularity. She sold it for fake friends and a fake boyfriend who will never amount to anything. She sold me out,' he thought despairingly. _

'Bitch,' she was wrong about him. She knew nothing of him. He was the guy that had all the attributes she wanted but she too failed to see past his little façade. She like the rest of the simpletons in the school could only see him as nerd, the kid who aced his classes. She never searched for the real Inuyasha. Like many others, she never understood the depth of his intelligence. She never knew that the only reason he attended her school was because of his father's hope that interaction with children of his age would hopefully help the development of his social skills.

In reality, Inuyasha's father Touga had used his numerous connections to allow Inuyasha to earn degrees from various universities while attending middle school and high school. During this time, he had managed to obtain undergraduate degrees in finance, management, and economics from Oxford and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in finance and management. Currently, he was working with professors from Harvard's Law school to obtain his diploma from said university at the same time as his graduation. Once he accomplished this he could finally take his place in his father's international conglomerate Taisho Corp. His brother Sesshomaru, only 5 years Inuyasha's senior, had already been appointed as the head of Tenseiga Ltd., the piece of the conglomerate that oversaw the various hospitals; health care services that Taisho Corp. provided; the pharmaceutical companies; and the technology companies that were under Taisho Corp.'s control. Inuyasha, likewise, was slated for a powerful position. He would be in charge of Tetsusaiga Ltd., which controlled all the financial subsidiaries of Taisho Corp.; the shipping and manufacturing aspect of the conglomerate; and its extremely large and prestigious law firm.

'Bitch,' he thought again. 'I am the opposite of what you think of me.' It was true. He was athletic, intelligent, rich, and kind. 'I hope you enjoy being stuck with Kouga,' he spitefully said to himself. 'He is the pathetic one. He is nothing compared to me. He's moderately athletic at best, possibly the dumbest kid I know, he comes from a middle-class family, and treats people like dirt,' he fumed. "He's a real winner, definitely has the whole package," he said to himself sarcastically. With that last thought he turned and watched the Tokyo skyline not bothering with Ms. Kaede's lecture.

'Why is he looking at me like that?' Kagome thought as her cerulean eyes clashed with his amber orbs. 'I mean I feel bad for him, Kouga obviously made him late. No, what am I thinking? It's his fault he is loser, maybe if he actually talked to people instead of buried his nose in so many books and actually wore something fashionable. Ughh, why would I even bother even thinking about him? He's a lost cause!' she thought to herself. He broke their eye contact and went back to staring out the window. 'I can't believe I actually thought of him as a friend once.'

_She walked down the hall, this day the same as the last, her wavy locks bouncing as she shimmied her locker open. Eyes seemed to follow her as she traversed the hallways; she had a beauty and natural grace that just attracted others to her. Despite others obvious envy and lust, her reserved personality and quiet demeanor caused her to avoid the limelight when at all possible. Sure she had advances from several boys and decent amount friends, but she lacked a connection. However, her best friend Inuyasha was different. Maybe it was his shy nature or his ability to always intently listen or, in the rare case that he spoke, the profound advice that he would always dole out, but whatever the reason she comfortable telling him all of her feelings and secrets._

_She finally settled down into her seat of her homeroom class hoping to relax before another rigorous day at_ _Saimyoushou, when he sat down on her desk. The new transfer athlete Kouga Ookami seemed to be appearing around her a lot lately. Her heart-rate sped up a little. 'He is pretty good-looking,' she thought to herself as her eyes traced the outline of his figure._

_Her blue eye's snapped up to his as he spoke, "How are you doing today babe?" Kouga asked in his normal flirty voice. She balked at his ostentatious behavior, but still felt her face heating up._

"_I'm fine Kouga," she responded quickly._

"_I think you should be my woman. I would show you what it's like to have a real man as your boyfriend," he stated bluntly._

"_I don't know Kouga. I am not sure we can jump into that type of relationship yet considering I barely know you, but I would agree to a date," she responded quickly hoping he wouldn't notice the light blush that tinted her cheeks. _

"_Since its Friday, how about I pick you up at seven?" he inquired with excitement laced in his voice._

"_That's perfect," she replied equally as enthralled._

_He gave her another one of his famous toothy grins and turned around and returned to his desk. Her lips curled upwards into a smile while dreaming about her date with the schools most popular guy. Her smiled quickly falter realizing she didn't know how to explain to her best friend Inuyasha that she was going on a date with the kid that pummeled him in the hallways. 'At least he isn't in school today,' she thought. 'Now I don't have to explain about the date until Monday.'_

_Gossip about her upcoming date with the new and ever-popular athlete Kouga spread through the school like wildfire. Her friends Sango, Ayame, and Rin bombarded her with questions about her supposed rendezvous the new raven-haired hunk. Anxiety about talking to Inuyasha soon gave way to anxiousness she was feeling towards her date that night. With the final ring of the bell, she practically sprinted to her locker. Shoveling her books into yellow backpack, she slammed her locker and tore through the glass double doors that marked the main entrance to the building without as much as a good-bye to her astonished friends._

_Rounding a corner her pace failed to slack as she continued to sprint the remaining five blocks to her moderate-sized house in the suburbs. She ripped open the door and noisily clamored her way upstairs. Home alone, she decided to spend the time to find herself a suitable outfit for her date. The front door slammed closed, 'Souta must be home from school,' she thought. She scanned her closet pulling out outfit after outfit. Time seemed to fly by and still she couldn't figure out what to wear. Finally, she decided on a simple outfit of a cute green shirt and jean skirt that fell a little past her mid-thigh. After a quick shower she vented her nervousness over the phone to her friend Sango._

_Thirty minutes before her scheduled date she slowly descended the stairs and met her mother and grandfather as the returned from their work; they were in charge of all Shinto religious institutions in the Tokyo area. Kaori stared at her daughter state of dress and raised an eyebrow, "Going somewhere?"_

"_Heh," Kagome chuckled nervously, "Can I go out on a date with Kouga at seven?"_

"_Of course dear, but be home by eleven," her mother responded lovingly. "Remember I want to meet the boy sometime," she commanded._

"_Mom, it's just one date!" her daughter whined._

_The doorbell rang and saved Kagome from possible interrogation. She opened the door to find Kouga leaning against the door frame dressed in jeans and t-shirt. "Let's get out of here," he said. Saying good-bye to her family Kagome grabbed her purse and they started walking down the street. A cool evening breezed ruffled the hair the two junior high students as they made their way towards the movie theater. "I figured we could have dinner and a movie," explained Kouga._

'_Well he obviously has no originality when it comes to planning dates,' she thought cynically. She immediately quelled the rebellious thoughts and indicated approval with a slight nod of her head. 'It's our first date I should give him the benefit of the doubt.'_

"_You look nice tonight," commented Kouga rather off-handedly._

"_Thanks. You look handsome," she chirped taking in his appearance once again._

_Continuing on their stroll, the light of the stars and moon in the clear night sky cast a romantic glow despite being dulled by the bright lights illuminating the city of Tokyo. Kouga dominated the conversation between the two. He constantly boasted about his athletic endeavors, his father's new mid-level management job, and his immense popularity._

_Rebellious thoughts struck up again, 'That sure destroyed the romantic atmosphere. I can't even get two words in.' She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and put a smile back on her face. 'I shouldn't be having second thoughts. Almost everyone in the school liked him, how can I not? Plus he's good-looking.' _

_They finally stopped walking outside of a WacDonalds. "Alright, let's go inside," commanded Kouga._

'_Wow this sure is a classy place,' commented the sarcastic voice that she thought she got rid of for the night. The two headed inside and her date proceeded to order their food. Their conversation picked up where it left off from their walk with Kouga monotonously talking about how well his life was going. _

_Despite his Kouga's slightly boring and very arrogant disposition, Kagome found that she was able to tolerate his presence. Maybe it was his looks or his popularity, but Kagome found she could be content with the black-haired boy._

_The couple finished their dinner at the fast food restaurant and walked the remaining block to the theater. Kouga grabbed her hand and led her into the building. There were several movies that she wanted to see but before she was able to voice her opinion her date purchased two tickets for an action movie whose previews looked horrendous. It was another plot less action flick with as many explosions and gunfights as words in the movie. She abhorred Kouga's choice but complied nonetheless._

_The movie had gone just as she had expected, it was predictable and lacked depth; however Kouga was engrossed in the film. In the middle of the movie Kouga switched from holding her hand to wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Her mother had told her when she met a guy she truly liked there would be some type of spark. Sadly there was nothing, but she forced the lack of anything to the back of her mind because she still felt comfortable in his embrace._

_The movie ended and the couple set off on their way back to Kagome's house with Kouga's arm still hanging over her shoulder. He moved it lower and slipped it around her waist and turned her slightly towards him. "Kagome," he stated in his normally cocky tone, "Have you finally decided to be my girlfriend?"_

"_Of course Kouga, I would love to," was the now suddenly cheerful girl's response._

_Kouga's face took on a darker expression, "Great, first you have to get rid of Inuyasha Takahashi. He cannot be your friend."_

_She was taken back. "That's absurd Kouga. He's my best friend," clearly shocked she exclaimed._

"_Look Kagome," he explained patiently, "It's either him or it's me. You decide."_

"_I just can't do that. He has no other friends it would break him," she stated defensively. She knew Kouga picked on Inuyasha occasionally, but did she have the lack of heart to do this as well?_

"_He is worthless anyway. Why would you want to be friends with a weak antisocial loser, when you could have someone as popular and good-looking as me?" Kouga said with his ego returning. He flashed another one of his award-winning smiles and hoped she would agree to his terms._

_She was in a serious bind. Kouga had given her an ultimatum that she could not give an answer to right away. She needed time to think and sort out the jumble thoughts and feelings in her head. "Kouga, I don't know right now. I need time to think. This isn't easy."_

_Kouga's face betrayed the slight surprise that she wouldn't jump straight into his arms, but she would become his woman he was hell-bent on it. "Fine you can give me your answer Monday morning, but I trust you to make the right decision." His confidence still did not waver._

"_Thank you Kouga for understanding," she pleasantly replied._

_Luckily for the pair Kagome, they had already reached her house enabling her to avoid the inevitable awkward silence that was sure to follow their little conversation. The couple approached the door and stopped._

_Kouga broke the awkward moment by taking her hand and saying, "Kagome, just think of all the things I can give you popularity, I can take you shopping, and more friends." With that said he gave her a kiss on the cheek and they bade each other farewell before he turned and trotted away._

_She watched his retreating form fade into the darkness before turning around and entering the house to find her mother finishing the dishes from the day's dinner. "How was your date honey?" her mother inquired._

'_The date was anything but spectacular, still it was rather pleasant. Well besides the walk home,' she reflected. "It went well, mama," was her response. She walked past her mom to avoid anymore of her nosy questions and settled down onto her bed._

_The weekend seemed to drag on forever. Phone calls from friends wondering how her date went with Kouga got polite and delightful answers. She ignored their squeals of approval and questions of if they were going out, because one major problem still remained. She could not make up her mind on the predicament that Kouga presented her. She would either lose a boyfriend and the chance at popularity or lose her best friend. She mulled over the dilemma all weekend. Come Monday morning she would have to make a decision so she decided to sleep on it and she drifted off into a world of epic adventures and sappy romance._

_The Tokyo sun peeked through her curtains, its soft rays wrestled her from her state of unconsciousness. It was Monday morning and she had finally come to a decision. No matter how painful, someone important had to be cut out of her life. She slowly dressed herself, her mood anything but its normal chipper self. Breakfast was another somber affair. Kagome poked at her eggs not even trying to nourish herself after a long weekend spent mostly locked up in her room._

_Her little brother took note of her current state of distress, "What's with the moping sis?"_

_Casting a forlorn look over at her sibling, "I'm fine. Just a little tired. That's all."_

_Her face betrayed the feelings that she could not voice, but the young boy would not push the issue any further, "Whatever you say, but know if you need to talk I will always be here to listen."_

"_Thanks Souta," was her almost monotone response as she got up and rinsed her plate in the sink. She grabbed her backpack and little brother and walked outside to meet Sango's mother and get a ride to school. Kohaku and Souta chatted loudly during the short ride while Kagome plaster a fake smile on her face as Sango again interrogated her about the date with Kouga. After dropping off Souta and Kohaku at the local elementary school, the car pulled up to Saimyoushou and Kagome and Sango got out. This was it she had made her decision and she would follow through with it._

_There standing outside of the door was Kouga Ookami. "So Kagome, have you made the right decision?" he asked confidently._

"_Of course," she replied. "I am ready to be your girlfriend."_

"_Great, now to get rid of the dork," he exclaimed happily and kissing her on the lips. The couple entwined their hands and strolled into the school._

_The day seemed to fly by. Inuyasha seemed to be absent from her morning classes again and she wonder what could cause a person who seemed at home in the classroom to miss that much school. She did not dwell much on his absence; instead, she used it to justify her decision. She spent her time reassuring her herself and crushing her own doubts. Gradually she began to believe her own false arguments, and by the time lunch arrived she was completely comfortable in her decision despite the remaining nagging thoughts in the back of her mind._

_She met Kouga by her locker and gave him a pecked his lips before latching onto his arm and walking off to lunch. She purchased her food and began to head to Kouga's normal lunch table, but his arm reached out and stopped her. He pointed to the corner of the room and there was a silver-haired boy sitting by himself lost in thought. Kouga slipped his arm around her waist and they marched over to the solitary boy. Kouga handed her his turkey sandwich and he nodded. She wanted to comfort the shy boy, but hurled the piece of food at the lonely boy instead. It hit its mark, colliding with the side of his head._

_She summoned as much anger as she could and barked out, "Hey Inutrasha."_

_The raven-haired beauty watched him turn and stare at her with a bewildered look in his eyes before mutter out a broken version of her name. His held fell and she could feel the unshed tears collecting in his eyes and it broke her heart, but she had to stay strong. She knew she had to handle the situation quickly like ripping of Band-aid. "You honestly thought that I would be your friend. You're nothing. You're worthless, poor, weak, a freak incapable of having friends, nothing but an ugly and hideous loser. Why would I want to hang around you when have an amazingly sexy, athletic, and popular boyfriend who has at least can take me shopping on occasion. You could never compare to him. I'm popular now like I should have been all this time but I wasted a year of my life pretending to be your friend," she even surprised herself at how cold and callous she sounded before sealing the deal by placing a chaste kiss on her new boyfriends lips._

**BRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGGGGGG**

The bell signaling the end of class jerked her from memory lane. She walked out in search of her boyfriend with her head held high leaving a former friend and former life behind.

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AN: The first two chapters the background of the two major characters who will be telling the story. This does not mean that they will be a pairing (it's a possibility) but pairings have not been decided and I have different plot lines for different possibilities. Obviously, I still have to introduce many other characters and that will be coming in the next few chapters. The only thing I am having problems with is how I want to use Kikyou. I have plenty of ideas but I have yet to settle on one.


	3. Outcast Entourage

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter 3: Outcast Entourage

The bell signaled the end of the first class of a new year. Inuyasha slid out of his seat and quickly walked to the door aiming to beat the usual swarm of students and the accompaniment of popular kids who vexed him to the point of insanity. His hasty departure from the classroom was rewarded with clear hallways when he arrived at his locker. However, the surge of students finally caught up to the boy with platinum hair and he nonchalantly wove between people getting lost among the crowd.

A teenager with violet eyes and black hair pulled into a rat-tail at the back of his neck sprinted around the corner of the hallway. He slowed to a walk a victorious smirk adorning his face despite his incessant panting. 'Finally got away,' he thought. Miroku Houshi had successfully pulled the grope-and-run on Sango Suzuki and boy was she pissed. Normally Miroku would receive a harsh beating for his actions, causing many to wonder if he was some type of masochist. Instead of await his usual punishment, today he ran halfway around the school and to escape Sango's angry tirade. He strode triumphantly into the crowd of students giving an occasional passing grope to any beautiful woman he saw until he ran into what felt like a brick wall.

Inuyasha, hustling to his next class, nimbly moved between the student masses until he collided with another moving body roughly knocking the poor soul to the ground. The golden-eyed boy readjusted his glasses and looked at the person he just bowled over. There, lying on the floor was Saimyoushou's resident pervert, Miroku Houshi. Inuyasha always liked Miroku. Miroku was one of the few people who treated everyone relatively nicely. In Inuyasha's own opinion, though much of the female student body would disagree, Miroku was fairly intelligent and good-natured person with an uncanny ability to read peoples' emotions. He couldn't be classified as popular, but was liked nonetheless by almost all students despite his very lecherous behavior. However, he was harmless, although he groped girls in the same manner people give out high-fives and handshakes.

"Are you going to help me up Mr. Kent?" the fallen-boy asked lighted-heartedly.

"Mr. Kent?" Inuyasha arched an eyebrow and as he extended his hand to help Miroku to his feet.

"Wow, you must have had a sad childhood," joked Miroku as he brushed himself off. He looked to see Inuyasha still staring at him the gears grinding in his head unable to put together the simple reference. "You really need to read a comic book or something. Clark Kent, Superman, the Man of Steel, the guy wears glasses as a disguise get it? You wear glasses plus it felt like I just ran into a block of steel."

"Sorry about running into you," Inuyasha chuckled as he walked off and wondered how Miroku could make anyone laugh. He heard a couple 'eeps' coming from the place he just left Miroku and his lips curved into a small smile just picturing Miroku reverting back to his customary antics. 'How does he come from a family that is in charge of all Buddhist temples in the Tokyo prefecture?' he questioned to himself.

The start of the day was anything but atypical. Inuyasha breezed through his mornign classes by filling his time with tedious work for law school, while still managing to complete the tasks any of his teachers at Saimyoushou assigned him. Nothing was a challenge for him and it bored him. He wondered how it was possible that none of his small group of friends shared any of his classes. He idly wondered if he was going to have to barge into Naraku's office and demand hit to change his friend's schedules. The bell's ringing signaled the students that it was time for lunch. Mrs. Tsubaki, his advanced calculus teacher beckoned for him to stop.

"Inuyasha, I have just received a message from the headmaster that you are supposed to meet someone outside of his office. He smiled and thanked her as he left to go towards the headmaster's office.

Luckily for Inuyasha, the headmaster's office was located quite to Mrs. Tsubaki's classroom. He gave a knowing smile as he walked up the stairs next to Mrs. Tsubaki's room. 'Of course the headmaster would want to be near his wife,' the boy mused as he finally ascended the stairs to the waiting room outside of the headmaster's office. He face morphed into a full blown grin as he was tackled to the ground by a pair of twins with rather peculiar hair styles.

After recovering his glasses that had slipped off during his fall, he saw all five of his friends in the waiting room. The twins helped him to his feet and the three girls rose from the black leather seats that complimented the other dark colors of the room and started walking towards the door. The group guys gathered up their things and follow the girls to the music department on the opposite side of the building.

It had become a tradition for the group to eat in the group to eat in the lounge next to the recording studio. Everyone had their various reasons for steering clear of the cafeteria and enjoying the privacy of the small group of close friends. Despite different their reasons, all could agree the beanbag chairs and couches in the lounge was one of the most comfortable places to enjoy their lunch. Not to mention they formed a band that would occasionally play in the downtime following their lunch. They didn't have a name for their group nor did they need one because it wasn't about playing for the public. Music was just a release from the tensions from the day and another way to vent their frustrations.

"Where were you guys this morning?" Inuyasha asked the group.

"Well, if you would have had your phone on this morning you would have known we weren't coming in until lunch. It's the first day of school. No learning for me today," a girl named Shunran Oyakata answered rather animatedly. Shunran was a fiery red-haired junior with hair cut relatively short. She was a tomboy, which was not looked highly upon in their social circle, especially since her father was the CEO and founder of Neko Inc. which had various holdings in natural resources and was one of the main suppliers of Taisho Corp. The energetic red head always had a mischievous glint in her eyes and had a talent for playing the drums. Of course she was not short of siblings; however, the only one she got along with was her older sister Touran, who was Sesshomaru's friends. Like Sesshomaru, Touran developed an icy demeanor that has helped her rise as the successor to her father's company. On the other hand, the tomboy never seemed able to get along with her other two siblings, Shuuran and Karan. Shuuran was a massive oaf that was the goalie of the football (AN: football = soccer in this story) team, but had the intellect of a preteen. Karan, likewise, was a ditzy and carefree sophomore girl that many boys thought of as pretty and cute. Shunran took comments and insults about her lack of feminism personally resulting in more than her fair share of fights.

He checked his phone and sure enough the battery was dead. "Shit battery is dead."

"Hahahaha! I can't believe you would forget to charge your phone, but you can remember everything in all of those textbooks," came the simultaneous laughing of the twins, Ginta and Hakkaku Mori. Ginta and Hakkaku acted like the twins in every essence of the word. They did almost everything together, they had the same preferences, and they had the same opinions; however, they made it a point to not look alike. Athletically built from the sports they played alongside their cousin, Kouga, in their youth, Ginta and Hakkaku were admitted into Saimyoushou's prestigious music program for their abilities to write music and play the guitar. The twins decided to adopt a punkish lifestyle. Ginta changed his hairstyle by dying a patch in the front. Similarly, Hakkaku styled his hair up into a mohawk. Obviously this was not satisfactory for their cousin Kouga, and he chose to make the lives of the two punk guitarists a complete hell.

"How about we eat the Chinese food we got for lunch," suggested the shy Shiori Saito. Shiori was a quiet student enrolled in the art program at Saimyoushou. Often sporting jean overalls covered in paint splotches and sometimes even a beret on top of her head, the reserved girl was heir to the defense contractor Koumori Corp. The fatherless girl had her family's trademark white hair shimmering with a slight bluish tint that identified her as the grandchild of Koumori Corp.'s CEO. Although she didn't hate the masses, she preferred the solitude and laid-back conversation of their little group. She loved how none of her friends would ever make derogatory comments concerning her state of dress. Being the only person who did not play in their band, she enjoyed listening and occasionally singing or dancing to the music they played.

"Who bought the food for us?" questioned Inuyasha.

"I did," spoke the final member of the gang.

"Thanks Kanna," the silver-haired boy replied respectfully. Kanna Onigumo was a quiet and soft-spoken computer genius that always seemed to always carry around her favorite laptop. Kanna was the spawn of a former successful investment banker, now turned founder and headmaster of Saimyoushou, Naraku Onigumo and the advanced calculus teacher Mrs. Tsubaki-Onigumo, more commonly referred to as Mrs. Tsubaki whom Kanna got her snow-white hair from. The Onigumo's were extremely close friends with Takahashi's especially after Kanna's older sister Kagura married Inuyasha's older brother Sesshomaru. Somehow her ability to type on a computer translated into playing the keyboard in their little band. Her status as the headmaster's daughter helped make sure she was never bullied, but did little to stop people from ignoring her all together; however, Inuyasha and his friends brought her into their group and treated her like a sister.

The group started telling different stories about their adventures over the summer and carried on not caring about the time or the bell that had just sounded signaling them to go back to class. They could always get a note from Naraku excusing them from class.

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AN: Touran, Shuuran, Shunran, and Karan are the four from the Panther Demon Tribe. And I made both Kanna and Shiori as old as everyone else. Now that the majority of the characters have been introduced (I am going to give more background on Rin and Sango as the story progresses) the plot will be able to speed up. I just threw this chapter in to introduce Inuyasha's friends for clarification later on. It will also help to explain how he and Naraku are on friendly terms.


	4. We Didn't Start the Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter 4: We Didn't Start the Fire

The first week of school seemed to fly by for the group of social outcasts. Ever since they reunited after the summer they clung to one another leaning on each other for support and existing on the fringe of Saimyoushou's elite and heavily aristocratic high school society. The new school year seemed to be looking up; physical attacks on the clique were becoming scarce, still there were comments but you know what they say 'sticks and stones.'

The new week brought about new hope that they wouldn't have to deal with the annoying insects that referred to themselves as the popular students. Fate, however, seemed to have other plans in store for the group. Sitting around their normal table at lunch, the popular students basked in the praises of their fellow students oblivious to the many rather indifferent attitudes they held that were masked by their false admiration. In reality, the student body was split in half. Half that actually placed the popular group on some type of metaphorical pedestal and another half that pretended to compliment the aforementioned group but could really care less about what they wore or what they did.

Kouga sat down in his normal seat at the center of the table and subconsciously put his arm around the waste of his girlfriend pulling her closer to his side. He growled as he thought back on his day. Saying he was angry was an understatement, he was pissed. Every time he insulted and threatened Inuyasha and his little group of friends they just ignored him. 'Who would dare to ignore me?' he thought. He could still see their eyes; they no longer held fear only indifference and annoyance, and that bothered him. He was the king of this school, he demanded respect and fear. 'That's it. I am going to put the fear back in their eyes. They will tremble whenever I come around,' he surmised.

"THAT'S IT!" shouted Kouga angrily. The entire cafeteria got quiet the students staring at the raven-haired boy. He turned around cheeks flushing slightly from embarrassment before glaring menacingly at his fellow students causing them to turn away and continue with their own conversations. Turning back to the table he saw the confused stares and raised eyebrows of the rest of the popular kids. "What!" he yelled to his friends.

"The real question is what 'it' is?" inquired Bankotsu Nakamura. Bankotsu was another transfer athlete from a middle class family that arrived at Saimyoushou in ninth grade along with his brothers Suikotsu and Renkotsu.

"The 'it' is the fucking dork squad is no longer intimidated by our normal tactics," Kouga replied heatedly.

"Calm down, Kouga. What does it matter whether or not they are scared of you?" asked Kagome soothingly, while rubbing circles on her boyfriend's back trying to calm the hot-headed boy down.

"I will calm down when the geek is put in his place," he responded shrugging off his girlfriend's arm.

"I guess that my brother should come up with some type of a plan," stated the ever-calm Suikotsu referring to Renkotsu.

Being the only moderately intelligent person in the group, Renkotsu was disgruntled that he always had to come up with some type of scheme for his brothers and their friends. "I got it," he exclaimed. They all leaned in and he began to relay the finer details of his plans.

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Inuyasha strolled down the hall his normal uninterested look adorning his features. He slipped a pair of headphones into his ears and music started blaring from his iPhone. He step had its usual purpose that was meaningful but not urgent and his body relaxed into his everyday slouch. The music of Incubus' album _Make Yourself_ was abruptly interrupted as Inuyasha found himself being roughly slammed against a group of lockers. The muscles tensed in his legs preparing to dart away; instead, he found he was pinned up against the wall by pair of what seemed to be hulky ogres. He raised his head and stared into the icy blue eyes of his nemesis, Kouga.

"It seems you are in a quite a predicament, mutt," Kouga stated cooly hoping to see his prey cower in fear. Inuyasha didn't struggle against his captors. He could have easily shaken off the bulky Manten Matsumoto and Shuuran Oyakata, but didn't because of the promise he made to his father regarding trying to get along with the other students. He would not let Kouga win a and instill some type of fear in him, he was to strong, so he kept the stoic mask he always wore on his face, his eyes failing to betray any type of emotion.

"It seems like I am going to have to put you in your place," Kouga growled. "It's right under my shoe along with all the other scum," the two other boys grunted in agreement. Kouga reared back a fist and brought it to the incapacitated boy's stomach. He rained blow after blow on his midsection before punching him in the face. The wounded boy spit out a mouthful of blood. The two large boys released his arms and the silver-haired boy slumped to his knees. Kouga brought a swift kick to the side of his head that left the injured boy reeling from the sharp blow. He fell to the tiled-floor with and awkward thud only to be repeatedly kicked by the three jocks while he was face-down on the floor before his tormentors stalked off down the hall leaving him alone, bloodied and bruised.

He gathered himself off the floor and looked to see the fate of his iPhone. He saw the pieces scattered around the hallway, the aftermath of that bastard Kouga hurling it against the wall and shattering the phone. Pulling out a new pair of glasses, he trudged to the bathroom to inspect the damage to his body. Staring back at him from the mirror was his broken visage. He stopped the bleeding from his nose and mouth only to notice the swelling already forming around his left eye and on the side of his head. He pulled off his shirt and examined the multiple bruises that were forming and marring his perfectly chiseled abs. He sighed, 'This has to be the worst beating I have received from that asshole, but I have experienced worse during my training.' He began to slide his shirt and hooded-sweatshirt back on never showing any type of outward emotion even during thrashing he received. Not once had he cried out, lost his cool, or begged; instead, he kept his casual demeanor. He turned to walk to class, lips curling in a slight smirk, if only for a second, at the mental victory he won over Kouga.

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The twins Ginta and Hakkaku exited their normal lunch powwow with the rest of their friends and talked animatedly on their way to their car to pick up the new guitars they had they purchased over the weekend. They conversed energetically about their new instruments and their excitement about trying them out when they were jarred from their little reverie. The twins looked at each other then tried to fight back but they found that they were restrained by Suikotsu and Renkotsu.

"It's time to open up the proverbial 'can of whoop ass' on you two Goths," Bankotsu said as he smirked.

"I would like to point out that your retarded cause…" started Ginta.

"We're not Gothic. We're punk. We rarely wear black. Seriously your an idiot," finished Hakkaku.

"Show those losers who's the boss around here," shouted Rin Tanaka, Suikotsu's usually bubbly girlfriend.

"Wow your girlfriend's got a big mouth. I bet you keep her around because she uses it to…" Ginta's snide remark was cut off by Bankotsu's fist to his face. Ginta sank to the ground holding his bloody nose.

"Don't ever refer to my girlfriend as some type of slut!" shouted Suikotsu as he stomped on Ginta's fallen body.

"Ginta!" cried out Hakkaku as he watched he brother being kicked mercilessly.

"Hey, Bank. Shut that piece of shit up!" commanded Sango Suzuki, Bankotsu's on and off again girlfriend. Bankotsu complied by bringing his fist quickly to the stomach of the restrained boy and followed it by delivering a knee to the same spot. Hakkaku collapsed alongside his twin brother. The Nakamura brothers dealt a few more blows to the fallen twins before walking away laughing jubilantly with the two girls.

Ginta was the first of the two to come to his senses. He groaned at the sharp pains that jolted through his body when he made a move to stand. Making it to his feet, he offered his hand to his bother. Grabbing the outstretched arm, Hakkaku hoisted himself off the pavement. The two observed looked at each other and observed the various bruises and spots on their clothes stained with blood.

"You look like shit," they exclaimed in unison. They shared a brief laugh before continuing to get their new instruments. Gone was the joyous mood of before, in its place was a sullen disposition with anger simmering just below the surface.

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Kanna sat down in class, her face expressionless as usual, and waited for Inuyasha to arrive. 'He seems later than usual. I wonder what is keeping him,' she thought as she pulled out her favorite laptop and prepared to take notes. The aggravating ring of the telephone interrupted the light chatter of the class. Mr. Hakushin, the history teacher, quickly strode over and snatched the phone and answered the call. After a brief conversation, he turned to the petite white-haired girl and said, "Kanna your mother would like to have a word with you real quick."

"Okay," she murmured shutting her laptop and placing back in her bag. 'If it's quick, I guess I don't need to take my bag.' She quietly got out of her seat and walked over to the door slipping into the hall silently.

Back in Mr. Hakushin's classroom Manten smiled. 'Too easy,' he thought as he strode towards her bag. 'All we had to do was have Kagome call Mr. Hakushin and pose as Mrs. Tsubaki, in his old age his hearing is obviously failing him.'

Meanwhile, Kanna marched with a purpose to her mother's classroom. She knocked on the door and stepped inside when she heard the "Come in."

"You asked for me mother," stated Kanna flatly.

"Sorry dear. I didn't. You must be mistaken. Return to class and I will see you after school," came her mother's simple reply. She turned around and walked out the door slightly puzzled. The light bulb went off inside her head and she realized she had been the victim of some type of immature prank. Mentally huffing, she sped up on her return to class.

Then she saw him. Inuyasha rounded the corner preparing to go into her classroom. She felt a flicker of anger rise in her as she saw the black eye and bruise on his cheek. She ran over to him as fast as her legs could carry her. "Kami, Inuyasha are you okay!" she cried.

"I'm fine Kanna. I've had worse. Let's just get to class," was his cool reply. He opened the door for her and they entered the classroom. She could hear the snickering that pervaded the students in the classroom. She assumed it was about Inuyasha's less than presentable appearance. Sitting down beside her bruised friend, she reached inside her bag. Pulling out her computer once again, she received quite the surprise when she opened the laptop. The screen was cracked in multiple places. Tears welled in her eyes for a second before she pushed them back.

Inuyasha stared at his friend's busted laptop. His eye started to twitch in anger as he saw water beginning to collect in her eyes. Then he heard it; the class broke out in laughter. He stared menacingly at the group that was laughing the hardest, the Nakamura brothers; the Matsumoto brothers; and the shallow girls that accompanied them. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at his friend.

"It's fine, just calm down. I can get a new screen," she said with a small smile. A sense of tranquility washed over him extinguishing the flicker of anger. He returned to await the lecture, but the day's events still lingered in the back of his mind.

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Shunran had just finished walking with Kanna to her locker before dropping her off at Mr. Hakushin's class as she continued on towards Mrs. Midoriko's Advanced Physics class. When she walked it seemed as if dangerous aura permeated the air around her and she would glare at anyone who gave her even the smallest questioning glance. She looked in front of her and saw one of the last possible people she wanted to see coming down the hallway. Abi Itou, flanked by her boyfriend Hiten Matsumoto, was heading straight for her. She groaned and gave the black-haired girl a fierce glare.

"If it isn't Mr., I mean Ms. Oyakata. I'm sorry you look so much like a boy I couldn't tell," Abi smoothly stated.

"Wow, I haven't heard that one before you two-bit whore," replied Shunran sarcastically. "How about trying to get some originality? Wait you were probably too busy working your street corner to actually think up of something good to say."

"That's it!" yelled Abi as she charged to slap the red head. Shunran caught her incoming hand and smirked at the look of fear that passed over Abi's face when she pulled her fist back to punch her.

SMACK

Everyone looked to see Shunran lying on the ground and Hiten standing over her after he backhanded her. "Don't you want to fight me? You were talking big back a minute ago. I usually don't hit girls, but in your case I will make an exception because I am not really sure if you are one," declared Hiten.

She knew she would never win a fight against Hiten, so she just laid there and watched their retreating forms walk off down the hallway laughing back at her. She reached her hand up to her cheek flinching from the bruise starting to form. Scrambling to her feet, she scoffed at everyone staring at her and stomped off to her physics class.

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Shiori stopped in the art studio at the end of the day to pick up the current painting she was working on. She went over to her designated area only to be shocked finding the painting and her entire art portfolio, which she had been working on for the past year and a half to be missing. She panicked looking everywhere for it. 'Kami, I need to find it. I've poured my soul into all that work,' she thought to herself. She ran out of her room to find the rest of her friends to help her search.

Ginta and Hakkaku had just finished cleaning out their lockers and prepared to go home when they spied a fiery mess of red hair barreling through people. They could tell Shunran was pissed and decided to call out to her "Shunran!" She turned her head and they saw the large bruise that she was sporting on the right side of her face. They gasped.

"Did the mighty Shunran finally lose her title as the school's most badass girl?" Ginta asked.

"I got slapped by Hiten because his whore tried to hit me and I was about to put her in her place," she spat out. "By the way why do you guys look like you got the shit kicked out of you?"

"We got jumped by the Nakamura brothers," Hakkaku growled out as his eyes narrowed.

"I think it is time we talk to Inuyasha and rethink this pacifist group policy that we have," stated Ginta. Shunran raised an eyebrow and he caught her curious expression. "You know you don't count, it's impossible to stop you from trying to punch someone out." They marched down the hallway towards the front of the school.

Inuyasha and Kanna were walking down the hall, he had finally completely calmed down from the prior events of the day when he heard his name being called. He turned around to find Shunran, Ginta, and Hakkaku all bruised and looking somewhat exasperated. "What happened to you?"

They took in his appearance. Shunran finally responded, "We got jumped by some goons and from the looks of things so did you. At least Kanna didn't get hurt."

"That's not entirely true. They broke the screen on her laptop," replied to his friends his irritation returning. They recoiled at the sudden news and became immediately incensed. They were about to tell Inuyasha to fight back when they heard someone call them from down the hall. Shiori came sprinting up with worry etched all over her face.

After a few pants, she regained her breath, "I can't find my new painting or my portfolio," she told them of her predicament. They shared knowing glances before Shiori finally took in their battered forms. She gasped, "No!"

They were about to tell her what had happed during the day when they were distracted by a commotion coming from outside the building's entrance. A large group of students had gathered around a small blaze. Shiori saw what was on fire, turned around and ran. The group watched her, listening to her sobs as she disappeared down the hall. Inuyasha turned back and saw the cause. There was her entire portfolio, the one she spent all her time on, going up in flames. He watched the small inferno steadily grow before it consumed her newest piece that sat on the top of the pile. He saw the smug smile of Kouga as the flames wrapped around the portrait of the group lounging together in the music studio. His anger grew along with the flames until it boiled over. Turning to the rest of the shocked group, "We are going to have an important meeting at lunch tomorrow," with that said he turned around and ran after Shiori hoping to help comfort the hysteric girl.

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AN: I know there are some strange pairings like Rin and Suikotsu, but things will be shuffled around. I hope you liked it. If you did then let me know and if you didn't then let me know as well (I don't care if you flame me, I will take what you say into consideration).


	5. Rattlin’ the Dog’s Cage

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

AN: Sorry this took so long. I just got released from a month and a half stay in the hospital and spent the last week catching up on school work, but now I'm back bitches.

Chapter 5: Rattlin' the Dog's Cage

Silver hair floated behind him as he ran down the hallways in search of his hysterical friend. His face was flushed with anger, wanting nothing more than to pummel the boy who had been the cause of his problem. However, he wouldn't let his rage consume him. He had more pressing duties to take care of in the form of a sobbing teenage girl. He arrived at their normal lunch hangout in the music lounge only to find it completely empty. He thought for moment and slapped his head at his own stupidity before exiting and jogging off towards the art studio.

Inuyasha slowed to a walk outside the elaborate art studio, the only sounds that could be heard in the deserted hallway were his slight panting and the continuous sobs coming from inside the studio. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside to see his first real friend rocking herself in the corner of the room, heaving from her incessant sobs. He gracefully strode over the crying girl and did the first thing that came to his mind; he gathered her into a comforting hug. The lamenting teen was shocked by the uncharacteristic display of closeness from her friend and she leaned and wept on his shoulder. He rubbed slow circles on her back soothing her until her tears slowly abated.

He pulled her back and saw tears still threatening to fall. "It's okay Shiori. Let it all out," he told her gently.

"It just hurts so much, Yasha," she cried as tears began to fall freely again. "I put my heart in soul into all those paintings. As I watched the flames eat away at them, it felt like it was consuming a part of me."

"It's alright. Just remember that their just pieces of canvas. The real works of art was the smiles your painting always brought to our faces," said Inuyasha hoping to comfort the distraught girl.

"I put two years of hard work into that just for it go up in smoke because of an asshole!" her sadness was replaced by a sudden anger.

"Woah! I think that was the first time I have ever heard you curse," he joked trying to lighten up the mood. "Don't worry, that 'asshole' will get what's coming to him. Besides, you have two more years to come up with more of those beautiful paintings you always make," reassured the amber-eyed boy. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm sure your grandfather sent a car to pick you up. I'll walk you there."

The two walked in silence out the back of the school, reflecting on the events of the day. Inuyasha seethed under his collected exterior. He continued to hold on to his friend as she choked back several dry sobs. After walking out of the back of the Saimyoushou compound, Inuyasha guided one of his best friends to the Maybach 62S her grandfather sent to pick her up. He bid her goodbye as her driver shut the door and drove off down the street. He continued his two-mile walk to the parking garage that housed his black Mercedes-Benz S600, the standard car that was driven by members of his family and was a gift from his parents on his sixteenth birthday. However it was not the only vehicle he owned, apparently his family and friends did not share their ideas about gifts because he received several different automobiles. Sesshomaru thought he should ride in style like his older brother and got him a silver Mercedes-Benz SRL McLaren Roadster; his personal attendant, Myoga, who helps him with work related issue as well as drives Inuyasha in one of the family owned limousines or Rolls Royce Phantoms when called for, bought him a silver with blue racing stripes Shelby GT500 **(**AN: Myoga is _very_ well paid); and his friends bought him a Lamborghini Gallardo in his favorite color red. The Lamborghini Gallardo ended up being the group car as Ginta and Hakkaku received a pair of black ones for their sixteenth birthday **(AN: Nobody knows about their Lamborghini's because they park them at a house the group bought together and only drive them when the group is going out together)**, Shiori received a silver one with bluish tint to the color, Shunran found herself in possession of a flashy yellow one, and Kanna received a white one. Inuyasha loved the two-mile walk. It allowed him to enjoy the day with the added bonus of preventing people from seeing him enter his car as he is quite opposed to flashing his money around.

The weather seemed too perfect for a day in which such rotten events had occurred; instead of dwelling on it, Inuyasha bathed himself in the warmth sunlight as the gentle breeze calmed his residual anger. Walking slowly, he took advantage of the beauty of the summer months that surrounded him. He let combination of the bustle of traffic and the birds chirping sing him a tune that completely relaxed the tension from his muscles. It was not long before a stumbled across the garage where his car was parked. He deactivated the alarm and climbed in the S600 and hid behind its tinted windows before speeding off to home.

Inuyasha pulled up to the gate that guarded the entrance to his family's mansion. He rolled down his window and waved to the guard before pulling up to the sprawling complex that stood adjacent to his older brother Sesshomaru's property. He parked in his normal spot amongst the many vehicles in his family's almost miniature parking garage.

Inuyasha flung the door open and crossed the threshold into the mansion. He walked to the back of the house and shouted a greeting outside to his mother, a beautiful and sophisticated woman who came from aristocratic roots, who he knew was either reading a book by the pool or tending to her private flower garden. After receiving his normal warm welcome home from his mom, he quickly ascended the spiral staircase and went to his room to finish his university studies.

"Master Inuyasha, it's time for dinner," the teen heard along with the accompanying rapping on his door.

"I'll be down in a second. And drop the 'Master,' Myoga," came his reply.

Inuyasha walked into the dining room to see the rest of his family sitting around the table. His father sat at the head of the table with his mother to his left and Sesshomaru and his three-month pregnant wife Kagura next to him. It was the same as every night with Sesshomaru and Kagura coming over for dinner. That was expected considering they were neighbors. Inuyasha would be the same once he graduated high school and college simultaneously and started to take the reins at Tetsusaiga Ltd. At this time he would receive the Takahashi gift for his transition into adulthood, an elaborate mansion right next to his parent's home. His mother gasped when she saw the bruises that adorned his face.

"Where did you get those bruises?" asked his father with slight anger evident in his voice. "And don't you lie to me boy," he commanded. Inuyasha knew not to disobey his father. Touga Takahashi seemed to have an aura that screamed 'powerful' and demanded respect and obedience. His mere presence could shake even the unflappable Sesshomaru and Inuyasha when he wanted intimidate them. Only his wife, Izayoi, has the uncanny ability to be unaffected daunting atmosphere he could produce.

Knowing not to test his father's patience, Inuyasha immediately responded and started to retell the events of the day. His father merely nodded his head and complimented his son on his level-headedness. Sesshomaru decided it was time for him to come to his brother's aid, "Father, I know you wish for us to not fight with others, but I for one would like Inuyasha to put this child in his place. He does not belong on even terms with a Takahashi."

Touga just sighed at his eldest son, "Sesshomaru, we are not better than other people."

"That may be true father, but this is not an isolated event. I find that it is time for me stop this torture. I am sorry father, but I will break our promise and fight back," commented the youngest Takahashi.

"There is no reason for you to do this Inuyasha. You have been trained to take high amounts of emotional and physical pain so you could avoid confrontations like this," replied his father.

"That is still no excuse for Inuyasha to allow himself to be demeaned in such a manner," came Sesshomaru's continued support for breaking all the bones in Kouga's body.

"Sesshomaru!" Izayoi snapped, "I did not raise you like that."

"I know I can take any type of pain he can dish out; however, it is my friends that I am worried about. I cannot allow anyone to harm them and get away with it," Inuyasha stated forcefully.

Touga sighed again from his seat at the head of the table, "I guess I can't talk you out of it."

"I'm sorry father but you cannot," he answered.

"It's your head if you get in to trouble," the Takahashi patriarch warned.

"Of course. May I be dismissed?" Inuyasha proceeded to leave the table to complete his nightly workout before going to sleep.

The next morning Inuyasha woke up to the blaring of his accursed alarm clock before slamming his hand down on it and checking the time. After staring at the digital '4:30 a.m.' for a moment, he got up and stretched, loosening up the joints that had become stiff from his awkward sleeping position. After his quick stretch he threw on a pair of shirts and a tight t-shirt that clung to his muscled form before starting his eight-mile morning run.

Inuyasha climbed the stairs to his room completely drenched in sweat. It seemed that he worked even harder at the strength and martial arts training he did every morning. He chalked it up to relieving himself of the stress following yesterday's events. He grabbed a quick shower before getting dressed in his usual baggy attire. Grabbing breakfast and his keys on the way out, Inuyasha hopped into his S600 and drove off into what would be the beginning of a change into a completely different high school experience.

Inuyasha strolled through the doors of Saimyoushou his mask of apathy concealing any emotions he was feeling. Despite the look of indifference, he could feel the weight of all the mocking stares and their hushed voices bearing down on him. However as he approached his friends, he could tell that they were withering under the glares and whispers. Their eyes snapped up to his and their confidence returned. He was their pillar of strength. His ability to seemingly shake off the insults and physical beatings inspired confidence in them. They exchanged their morning pleasantries and headed off to their respective classes.

It was the same all day. The quiet snickers that followed them everywhere they went, the insults and taunts grinded on even the strongest of wills save Inuyasha. The gossip of what had happened the previous day spread like wildfire and the students, especially the 'populars' seemed to enjoy bathing in their pain. The laughing eyes and sharp tongues didn't bother Inuyasha as he sat impassively in his classes, but his patience was waning. It was the looks annoyance, pain, and exasperation on his friends' faces that was once again fanning the flames of his anger.

Lunch time rolled around and the group looked rather worn down. They seemed to radiate an aura of malice. Their eyes snapped to their unofficial leader. "Look, these simple-minded fools have taken it too far," he proclaimed with a smirk. "You can only rattle a dog's cage so long before it bites back," his comments elicited similar smirks from the group.

"What's the plan captain?" Shunran asked.

"From my observations, they are not as well liked as it may seem. Many people just don't want to deal with them. I want to completely break them. We're going to start slow then slowly make more progressive confrontations. First, we're going to attack psychologically then physically. We'll change our looks, attire, demeanor, accessories, and make them jealous of us as we slowly take every bit of popularity from them. Of course during this time we will be playing numerous pranks that will make them the laughing stock of the school. If we then have to move to physical means then so be it. I have no problem with that. Of course this won't start until I get back from a business trip with my father in a week and a half."

His words were met with resounding approval and not even the rest of school day could bring them down off their high because tomorrow was a new day.

* * *

AN: Finally got this chapter out. Stupid hospital complications. Review and all that other good stuff.


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